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WillBy Klt; iBKKT PFEFFERK( )RNOf The Stale Joumai StaffThe 115th Fighter Group atTruax Field has been virtually*assured of continued flight statusthrough fiscal 1975 with a favorable vote from the House Armed Services Committee.Rep. Rolx*rt Kastenmeier (D-Wis.) said Wednesday the committee changed the language of the Defense Dept, budget bill to provide that “the Air National (luard ‘shall include a force of not loss than 91 flying units.’ This language insures that the 115th will not be deactivated.”nil: ORIGINAL Defense Dept proposal declared that the missions of several Air National Guard units had become obsolete and the units should be deactivated.Wisconsin National Guardleaders agreed that the mission of the 115th was obsolete, but askixl for a new mission because of the unit’s extraordinaryrecord.Kaz Qshiki, Kastenmeier’s ad-nunistrative aide, said the bill still must be passed by tlie House and Senate and signed by President Nixon. However, hesaid there was “very littlechance” the committee's reportwould be defeated‘■’mis IS an easy unit to fight for, they’ve won more awards than any regular Air Force unit,” he said. “You don't take the best and tell them to go honk* You find a new mission for them.” Kastenmeier coordinated massive state support to retain the unit from area government, business, labor, and military leaders, including the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.An estimated 230 full-time technician jolis and 70(1 part-time guardsmen slots along with a $4 5-million payroll would be lostif the unit was deactivated.THE LANGl'AGE change insures that the unit will not be deactivated because of the number of units to be retainedThen* are currently 92 Air Guardunits. Two of those are beingcombined in one California unitThe manpower subcommittee,in its report to the Armed Forces Committee, said, “to phase out capable flying units because their planes are becoming obsolete is.in our opinion, a very shortsighted viewpoint.”The problem of mission is tiedto internal Defense Dept wrangling over acquiring newer plant's and the limited available money for new equipmentBRIG. GEN. Oliver Ryerson, commander of the 115th. greetedthe committee's decision with pleasure but little surprise.“We have been very optimistic all along, and our congressional delegation has tx*en working very hard on this,” he said.He said the decision is the “first real firm indication we’vehad that it would go this way It makes us flt;*el a lot better here, now that they have realized we are a good unit worth keeping.
Newspaper Details
Madison Wisconsin State Journal
Madison, Wisconsin, US
Thu, May 02, 1974
Page 1
Full Page
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Madison P.
WI, USA 21 Jun 2023
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